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ROKER ROUNDUP: Rangers midfielder Ovie Ejaria talks about his Sunderland relegation experience

He’s now at Rangers playing under Steven Gerrard, but Ovie Ejaria hasn’t forgotten about his time at Sunderland and how being part of a relegated team was a beneficial learning experience for him.

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Molyneux hopes for Sunderland draw

Luke Molyneux came on as a late substitute for Gateshead in their 4-0 FA Cup win over Dunston UTS at the weekend and managed to get himself onto the scoresheet with a smartly taken strike from a tight angle.

Speaking to Gateshead’s official website after the game, Molyneux is hoping that his goal will help him stake a claim for a regular place in the side for Steve Watson’s side:

Hopefully that helps prove that I’ve got enough to be starting week, week out. Now the gaffer has seen me score, then I can hopefully get straight back into the team.

It was an amazing feeling, the game was pretty much over and done with, but it was great for me to get a goal for the club. Having been out of the team for two weeks, it’s good to be back on the pitch and get a goal.

It’s good to get a lot of game time. It’s good football, we’re doing well and they’re a class set of lads.

Now the 20-year-old’s team is through to the FA Cup first round proper, he is hoping to get his parent club in today’s draw - which takes place at 7pm on BBC2.

It’s amazing, it’s a competition that everyone wants to be a part of. It will be great for us to get a good run in the cup and hopefully get a good team in the next round.

Hopefully Sunderland. Sunderland at home – that would be a brilliant draw!

Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland - Premier League 2 Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images

Ejaria on Sunderland spell

Former Sunderland loanee Ovie Ejaria has had a much more successful time during his current loan spell with Rangers than he did while he appeared at the Stadium of Light.

The England under-21 international has been starring in the Europa League for the Scottish side and he has been speaking about those European experiences in an interview with the Scottish Sun:

I had been at games at Anfield watching Liverpool in the Champions League and Europa League in the past.

I saw what it was like but to actually play in it was something else — I love it.

The atmosphere against Rapid Vienna at Ibrox in the last Europa League game was incredible, especially after we got the second and third goals.

It was something I had never experienced before while actually playing in a game, it was great.

If we can perform as well as we can against Spartak Moscow, then we can get the three points we are looking for on Thursday.

Playing in Europe is a big thing for me.

You face different playing styles, against different teams in different countries.

I hadn’t sampled much European football before I came here. I had only really played youth tournaments when I was younger.

Being able to play in a big competition like the Europa League was a huge factor in me coming here.

I am really enjoying playing in Europe and I want to keep doing well for the team.

The Liverpool youngster also talked about his spell at Sunderland and how the difficulties the team faced were a good experience for him:

You want to be winning games but when I look back at my Sunderland spell I think it was a good experience for me.

The team struggling was tough and it wasn’t something I was really used to.

When I played at youth level for Liverpool I was used to winning. So going into Sunderland was all new to me.

But I see it now as a good experience. It helped me to be stronger mentally and prepared me to come a big club like this.

It is nice to be in a different environment here at Rangers, in terms of actually winning games.

Queens Park Rangers v Sunderland - Sky Bet Championship Photo by Jack Thomas/Getty Images

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